I [Heart] Felt

Last week I received a preview copy of I [Heart] Felt by Kathleen Taylor. While I felt (technically full) all the time (using thrifted sweaters), and while I knit (though not nearly enough), this is the first time I've sat down to look at a book about knitting and felting items.

Most of the felting items I've seen, while practical and perfectly serviceable, have been - must I say it? - a bit boring. I know, you can point to many projects that aren't so it's just my impression. Still. It was my impression.

Now? I'm grabbing my sticks, looking for colorful wool yarns, and jumping onto the knit-and-felt bus! As Kathleen says in her foreward:

I want felted bags, and slippers, and potholders, and hats, and mittens, and decorations. I love the look and feel of felted items, but knitting is not only my passion, it's my comfort and my refuge. And when the knitting is boring, the results are boring.

What's the cure for all this boredom? Pushing your felting to the extreme. Don't be afraid to knit with finer yarns and smaller needles; to strand novelty yarns with wool yarns for great new textures; to experiment with barely felted cable stitches that keep their definition; to expand the design possibilities with felted Fair Isle and intarsia; and, finally, to finish projects with folk-art touches such as beading, appliqué, and needlefelting. All of these are great ways to jazz up your felting, as you'll see in the following chapters.

After all, it's so important to explore color, texture, and embellishment. Take yourself, and your knitting, beyond boredom to fun and fabulous with the projects in this book.

Just plain have fun.

The projects in this book are stunning! Lots of felted purses (sigh), adorable hats (I can't wear them, but I could make them as gifts, right?). Kathleen even discusses lightly (very lightly) felting cabled sweaters to keep them from stretching out of shape! There is a felted project (or three) for every knitter who imagines they might want to try it.

This purse made everyone who saw my copy exclaim "Oh! Cute!" This alone is reason to get the book.
What are other bloggers saying about this book?

The CraftGossip Blog is giving away their pre-release copy to the commenter who begs the nicest leaves the best reason.

I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can appreciated that Kathleen used easily obtainable and affordable yarns for all these projects.

Heather at DIY Life loves that :

it includes complete instructions for how felt from the ground up, with all the information a person needs to go from knowing nothing, to being a confident felter.

Before I forget: Kathleen has her own blog.


I also blog at: Deb's Daily Distractions and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.